Advertising device



May 31, 1932. R. v. RODRIGUEZ ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed NOV. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May' 31, 1932. R. v. RODRIGUEZ ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Nov. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7? M f 6;? cm a 6 ATTORNEY Patented May 31, 1932 PATENT OFFICE RAFAEL VICENTE RODRIGUEZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADVERTISING DEVICE Application filed November 28, 1931.

appeal to the imagination and the curiosity of persons viewing the same.

According to the invention an electric lamp or equivalent device is adapted to be either stationarily or movably supported and to be i supplied with current in such manner as to excite wonder concerning the way in which the current supply is effected, and in this connection a specialobject of the invention is to provide current supply means which not only effectively defies detection, but which apparently indicates lack of any mechanical connection of the lamp with a source of current.

Another special object of the invention is to provide a device of the general character mentioned which is of relatively simple construction, which is cheap and easy to produce and of relatively low maintenance and operation cost, and which is unlikely to get out of order or fail to operate properly de spite long and continuous use.

With the foregoing and various other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of features as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein are illustrated certain practical embodiments of the invention: I

' Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device of simple form embodying certain of the novel features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the aerial element of the device.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the aerial showing the manner of suspending and supplying current to the lamp of the device.

Figure 4 is an elevation illustrating a Serial No. 577,771.

slightly alternative form of the combined current conducting means and supporting means for the glass plate of the device.

Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating a form of the device embodying a plurality of movable lights.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing in detail the means for mounting, moving and supplying current to the lamps of the device illustrated in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the manner of mounting the tower lights illustrated in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, first with particular reference to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, l0 designates a base member of wood or other suitable material having mounted on top thereof at suitably spaced points a pair of containers designated as 11 and 12, respectively.

The containers 11 and 12 may conveniently comprise a pair of ordinary glass bottles of suitable size and shape, and in accordance with the invention they are secured to the base 10 by fasteners 13 extending through their bottoms and through the base and constituting parts of the conductors of the electrical circuit of the device. Lead or other suitable electrodes 14 are secured within the containers by the fasteners 18 and the openings in the bottoms of the containers through which the fasteners extend are sealed liquid tight in any suitable manner, the exposed ends of the fasteners within the containers being covered if necessary or desirable in any suitable manner to shield them from the effects of the sulphuric acid or other electrical conductive liquid 15 with which the containers are filled.

At their upper ends or mouths the containers 11 and 12 are closed by electrodes 16 in the form of stoppers or plugs of lead or other suitable material, and carried by said stoppers or plugs are suitable supports 17 through the instrumentality of which a sheet of glass or other preferably transparent electrical insulating material 18 of suitable size, shape and thickness is mounted on edge .on the containers.

Upon the upper edge of the plate 18 near its ends or in other suitable spaced relationship are suitably mounted small towers 19 and 20 formed to simulate the towers of a wireless or radio station, these towers being formed from suitable electrical conductive material and being connected together by an antenna simulating structure designated as 21.

Connecting the lower ends of the towers 19 and 20 with the electrodes 16 of the containers 11 and 12 are conductors 22 and 23, respectively, in the form of thin strips of suit able metal foil which are glued or otherwise suitably secured against the end edges of the sheet 18 and painted green or otherwise suitably colored as nearly as possible the same color as the glass or other material constituting said sheet, as it appears at its edges, whereby discernment of said strips is rendered substantially impossible or at least extremely difiicult.

Referring now particularly to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the antenna simulating structure 21 comprises a pair of end cross members 24 and 25, connected to the towers 19 and 20, respectively, by suspension wires 26 and connected together by a pair of wires 27 and 28 constituting conductors of the electrical circuit of the device, and also by one or more additional or dummy wires 29.

The wires 27 and 28 at opposite ends are electrically connected with the suspension wires 26, respectively, and at their remaining ends are insulated from said suspension wires as indicated at 30. Also, the dummy wires 29 are suitably insulated from the suspension wires 26 so that a circuit between the towers through the antenna can be completed only through the wires 27, 28.

Medially or at another suitable point along the length of the antenna 21 a small tube 31 is suspended from the wires 27, 28 and 29 and has depending therefrom another small tube 32 which at its lower end supports an electric lamp 33, said tubes containing a pair of wires 34 and 35 which are connected, respectively, with the wires 27 and 28 and with the terminals of the lamp filament.

Current supply wires for the device are designated as 36 and 37, respectively, and are connected, respectively, with the electrodes 14 through the fasteners 13. In one of these wires isinterposed a resistance element 38 which may conveniently comprise a lamp of greater wattage than the lamp 33, While in the same or in the other of said current supply wires, or at any other desired point in the electrical circuit of the device is interposed a device'39 which may be of any well known commercial type effective to periodically and automatically open and close the circuit.

The circuit from the source of current through the lamp 33 obviously is through one of the wires 36 or 37, through the related fastener 13 and electrode 14, the liquid 15 in the related container 11 or 12, the related electrode 16, the related strip of foil 22 or 23, the related tower 19 or 20, the related wire 27 or 28, the related wire 34 or 35, through the lamp filament, through the other wire 34 or 35, the other wire 27 or 28, the other tower, the other strip of foil, the other electrode 16, the liquid of the other container, the other electrode 14 and the other fastener 13 to the other wire 36 or 37.

Preferably the containers 11 and 12, the liquid 15 and the sheet 18 are transparent whereby there is an apparent lack of any mechanical electrical connection of the lamp 33 with a source of current, and in order to assist in conveying this illusion the lamp preferably is provided with a wire coil 40 one end of which is free. Moreover, in order to hide the electrodes 14 and 16 from view, the bottom and top portions of the containers 11 and 12 may appropriately be covred with suitable information or advertising matter.

Obviously the effect of the periodically flashing lamp, or of the continuously lighted lamp in the event the flasher device is not used, is to create wonder and speculation regarding the manner in which current is supplied to the lamp in view of the apparent lack, as aforesaid, of any mechanical electrical connection of the lamp with a source of current.

The lamp or other resistance element 38 is, of course, concealed from view and is de signed to reduce the current load on the frail conductors of the device. On the other hand, the conductors of the device may be formed to carry ordinary lighting current and the lamp 38 may be replaced by a fuse so as to avoid any danger of fire in case of a short circuit in the device. 1

Figure 4 of the drawings illustrates that the containers of the device, designated as 11a, 12a, may be formed at their bottoms with depressions or wells 41 to be received in depressions in the base 10a and to themselves receive the bottom electrodes 14a, thereby to conceal said electrodes from view. This figure also illustrates that the tops of the containers may be provided with screw caps 42 to carry and conceal the upper electrodes 16a.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 of the drawings, it will be observed that the device is to all intents and purposes the same as the device illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 with the principal exception that the lamp 33 of Figures 1 to 3 is replaced by a plurality of lamps which are mounted to rotate during operation of the device. Other differences reside in the mounting of lamps on the tops of the towers and in mounting the glass sheet directly on the base instead of on containers carried by the base, but obviously containers of the type illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 may be employed to support the glass sheet shown in Figure 5, and the lamps on the tops of the towers may, if desired, be eliminated.

In the event it is desired to provide lamps at the tops of the towers irrespective of whether the device otherwise is of the form shown in either Figure l or Figure 5, a construction as illustrated in Figure 7 is employed. That is to say, a plate 43 is mounted on the top of each tower and is insulated therefrom, and the antenna suspension wires 26 are connected to these plates instead of directly to the towers. Each plate is provided with a lamp socket 44 opening through the plate so that when the base of the lamp 45 is operatively engaged in the socket the usual filament terminal at the end of the lamp base engages with a top portion of the tower. Thus, instead of the circuit being directly from the towers to the antenna suspension wires 26, it is from the towers through the lamps and thence to the antenna wires.

Since, with the exceptions mentioned, the device illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 is or may be the same as the device illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the same reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts in the two forms of the device.

Referring particularly to Figure 6 of the drawings, it will be observed that a small electric motor 46 is mounted on the glass plate 18 and that on the shaft 47 of said motor are secured a plurality of radially disposed tubes 48 each carrying a lamp 49. Also mounted on the motor shaft for rotation therewith, but insulated therefrom, are a number of conductor disks 50, one for each lamp 49, together with a single additional disk 51. Extending through each tube 48 is a pair of wires 52 and 53, one of which is connected with one terminal of the filament of the related lamp and with the related disk 50, and the other of which is connected with the other filament of the lamp and with the disk 51.

Engaging each disk 50 is a related contact finger 54, while engaging the disk 51 is a contact finger 55. From the antenna the current supply wires 34, 35 lead to and are connected with the motor 46. In addition. one of said wires is connected with the contact finger 55 and the other is con.- nected with each of a number of auto matic circuit opening and closing devices 56, one for each lamp 49, each device 56 being connected by a Wire 57 with one of the contact fingers 54. Thus, when the circuit through the wires 34, 35 is closed the motor operates and rotates the arms 48 and the lamps 49, and at the same time the individual lamp circuits are established through the disks 50, 51 and the contact fingers'54,'55 wiping thereagainst, the lamps being individually flashed on and oifby the-'devices-56. Accordingly, when the device is in operation the lamps 49 produce an effect resembling a band of fire, and if different colored lamps are employed the colorof the fire =b'and constantly changes due to first one and then another of the lamps being momentarily extinguished, the effect being quite unusual and of exceptional efiectiveness in attracting attention, particularly as it is by "no means apparent in what manner operating current is supplied to the motor-and the lamps.

Obviously as many arms 48 and as many lamps on each arm as desired may be provided. Also, in this connection, any suitable means other than the particular means de scribed for supplying current to the motor 46 and to the lamps 49 may be provided, the arrangement illustrated merely being representative of a number of different ways of accomplishing this purpose.

For flashing the lamps 45 and 49 on and off, flasher devices as illustrated in Figure 1 m y be provided, or a flasher device individual to each lamp 45 and 49 may be arranged in the lamp socket. If, however, the lamps 45 are in series with the motor, it is not desirable to provide flashers for said lamps because of the interruption of the motor circuit. For this reason, if it is desired to flash the lamps 45 the same may readily be connected in a circuit separate from the motor circuit or connected in parallel with the motor, and this also holds true in respect to the lamps 49. In fact, to those familiar with electric wiring it will be obvious that there are many different ways in which operating current may be supplied to the motor and to the lamps of the device within the purview of the invention. It will also be obvious that instead of mounting the motor and the lights of Figure 5 on a transparent plate, the same may be mounted in any other manner desired.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the constructon, operation and advantages of the device will be clearly understood. It is desired to point out, however, that while certain specific embodiments only of the invention have been dis closed, the same is readily capable of embodiment in other mechanical structures within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a substantially transparent plate, substantially transparent containers supporting said plate and each containing an electrical conducting liquid, an electrically operated device mounted on said plate, means for the connection of current supply wires with the liquid in the containers, and conductors connecting the liquid in the containers with said electrically operable device.

2. A device of the character described comprising a glass plate, glass containers supporting said plate, an electrode at the top and the bottom of each container, an electrical conducting fluid in each container in contact with the electrodes thereof, the bottom electrodes being adapted to have current supply wires connected therewith, conductors extending from the upper electrodes of the containers along the end edges of the glass plate, and electrically operable means with which said conductors are connected.

3. A device of the character described comprising a glass plate, transparent containers on which said plate is supported, an electrode at the top and thebottom of each container,the bottom electrodes being adapted for connection with a source of current, towers of electrical conducting material mounted in spaced relation on top of said glass plate, conductors in the form of strips of metal foil secured against the end edges of the plate and connecting the top electrodes of the containers with said towers, respectively, an electrical conducting liquid in each container, an antenna simulating structure connecting the towers and inclusive of a pair of wires each electrically connected with only one of the towers, one of the wires being electrically connected to one tower and the other to the other tower, and a lamp suspended from said antenna simulating structure and having said wires connected therewith.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAFAEL VICENTE RODRIGUEZ. 

